Given: City need to apply pressure

CITY can pile the pressure onto the Big Four in the next three weeks - and wait for the cracks to deepen. The Blues believe the increasing threat posed by their revamped side, plus the revitalisation of Spurs and Aston Villa, is starting to get to the established Premier League hierarchy.

CITY can pile the pressure onto the Big Four in the next three weeks - and wait for the cracks to deepen.

The Blues believe the increasing threat posed by their revamped side, plus the revitalisation of Spurs and Aston Villa, is starting to get to the established Premier League hierarchy.

And with winnable games coming up at Wigan a week on Sunday, and then at home to Fulham the following week, City are aiming to turn the screws.

In the same period, leaders Chelsea have to go to Villa, while United go to Liverpool, with a good chance of points being dropped by all those teams.

Keeper Shay Given has admired his team's excellent start to the season from between the sticks, as well as being a key component in the run of just one defeat in seven matches.

And he feels that the next two games give the Blues a chance to further cement their place amidst the front-runners.

The Blues have a game in hand on all of the teams ahead of them, following the postponement of their home fixture with Everton in the opening week of the season, due to the Toffees' involvement in the Europa Cup.

"The next couple of games we are aiming for maximum points, and we still have a game in hand on the teams around us," said Given. "We are looking to get as close as we can.

"It was important not to lose at Villa, because now we can look forward to the next game and hopefully push on up the league.

"But nothing is handed out in October - all the prizes are handed out in May, and it will be a long winter. But we hope to be still up there in spring."